Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live sorta kinda near Borrego Springs, and work at a Petco, and a LOT of people come into my store with wild-caught rosy boas wanting to keep them.
Since most people coming into a Petco with a snake they caught in their yard have never owned reptiles before, I tell them to let it go, better off getting captive bred, etc, etc.
My folks have always told me never to keep rosies from this area because they're threatened, or something along those lines, and they're needed in the wild to keep up the wild populations. Is this correct?
I've also heard it's alright to keep one or two wildcaught snakes if you have a fishing permit, otherwise it's illegal to keep california native species.
And what should I tell the people who come into my store with the poor snakes in tiny little plastic things? I already say vet visit, to get it checked out, along with a quarantine period of at least a month, preferably two or three, if they've got any other reptiles or amphibians.

And last but not least - the best sort of bedding? Sand, bark, dry forest bedding, aspen shavings?

Any help is appreciated!
~jenny
-----
1.1 normal ball pythons (Cindy and Darwin)
1.0 rex rat (Scurvy)
0.1 bunny (Spazz)
2.1 betta fishes (Vicious, Killer, and Butters)
3.1 great danes (Shasta, Odysseus, Merlot, and Watson)
1.0 fat fuzzy mutt (Smokey)
1.1 cats (Thidwick and Turtle)
2.0 horses (Buddy and Sam)
1.0 goat (Billy Jack)
2.25 chickens (Jacques the rooster and his harem)

but what I really want is more ball pythons!

Tell them that there hard to keep in captivity and to just put it back where they found it and at leats save a few for the wild and the herpers like me that have had absolutly no luck finding rosys this year. Other wise aspen, newspaper, and the thermal gradient needs to be set up right.
-----
Ricky

1.0. Melanistic Corn
0.1 Ball Pythons
5.1. Red Ear Sliders
1.0. Spiny Softshell
0.1. Desert Tortoise
1.0. Missouri Box Turtle
0.1.California ebony tarantula
Scorpion Paruroctonus baergi 0.0.1.
4.1. Feline
1.1. Canine
1.0. Cockatiel

They are not rare, especially in the area your talking about. But if they dont know how to give basic care to a snake, then they should not collect one, but if they have a valid fishing lisence then there is nothing worng with colletcing a rosy. Just tell them to keep them dry, and they do best in a screen top cage. Give water once a week-(unless gravid) and to have undertank heating of sometype, rosys need it. And about telling them to leave it for the people that have been looking all year and have not seen one...those people will say they are rare..LOL, but its just becasue they have not seen one and most likely just dont know when or how to observe one in the wild. Rosys are great pet snakes. I know a lot of people who dont like snakes, then meet a rosy and fall in love, girls,gals,ladys, babys,little kids, everyone loves rosys..LOL, its true.
Jeff

it doesnt matter if you are a herper or a person who stumbles onto on one in your back yard. it doesnt matter if you have a fishing license or not. the only thing that matters is that rosy boas readily breed in captivity. it is irresponsible and wrong to take rosy boas out of the wild. doing so only depleats the wild stock, reduces genetic variation and increases the likelihood of inbreeding and reduced fitness, and reinforces the notion that capturing wild animals for pets is "okay", when it isnt. this species has lost significant numbers in recent years due to back yard collectors. if you want a roys, buy one from a breeder. think of the money you put down for it as an investment in the long term sustainability of rosy boas in the wild.